Lowell board postpones decision on special-needs bus provider

LOWELL -- The potential termination of a school bus contract following a special-needs student getting stranded on one of the company's buses will be addressed next week.

During Wednesday's School Committee meeting, it was determined that more information was needed before the committee approved a contract for NRT Inc., of Methuen, which would provide transportation for in-district special-education students instead of company SP&R Transportation, of Dracut.

"I don't feel comfortable making a decision on changing a contract this important unless we have an opportunity to discuss it and get the information," said School Committee member Connie Martin.

The incident unfolded around 1:15 p.m. Sept. 27 when police were called to McAvinnue Elementary School about a student's presence on the bus.

An investigation determined that a driver for SP&R had parked his bus at his home for roughly five hours after completing a morning route, police said. When the driver returned to begin his afternoon route, the child was still on the bus. It was established that the driver failed to check the bus after the morning route.

After being brought back to the school, the child was found to be in good health. The bus driver responsible was fired.

School Business Administrator Gary Frisch said Wednesday that officials were already considering making a recommendation to change bus companies to handle the special-education needs at the start of the school year.

Advertisement

"However, because of the most recent incident, it has caused us to consider moving up that recommendation to now," Frisch said.

If the committee pursued NRT it would save the city roughly $127,000.

City Hall's Council Chamber gallery was full of SP&R employees Wednesday. Three of them spoke, defending the company they work for.

Bus driver Dan Gaudette stressed that the bus service has protocols in place that includes requiring drivers to check all seats before leaving the bus.

"Anybody here -- people must make mistakes everyday," Gaudette said. "Just because a driver making a mistake means the company has to suffer?"

School Committee member Robert Gignac stressed that the youth being on the bus for five hours was unacceptable.

Gaudette then shouted out from the gallery that the student hadn't been on the bus for five hours.

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sun. So keep it civil.